


The Same Old Theme

by Ghivasheluh



Category: Chinese Actor RPF
Genre: Howl's Moving Castle AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28197423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghivasheluh/pseuds/Ghivasheluh
Summary: It was a time of war.Xiao Zhan had lost both of his parents; his mother before the war even came around, and his father when he decided to go fight on the war to never return. Xiao Zhan, who couldn’t understand wars as he had too pure a heart, didn’t join the army.Instead, he decided to continue managing their family’s little hat shop, bringing joy to a few men and women who lived in denial or who were too old to do anything to end the war.
Relationships: Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan | Sean
Comments: 3
Kudos: 51





	The Same Old Theme

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bellotamaligna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellotamaligna/gifts).



> Fic written for @Bellotamaligna, who requested a Howl's Moving Castle AU. I had watched this movie so many years ago that I had to rewatch in order to write and damn, it was so good. I hope this story is at least half as good. I tried to be true to the movie, and it ended up getting this long, sorry!
> 
> Also, this is a Secret Santa gift to @lanwjxiao on twt! :3
> 
> I hope the two of you enjoy! And everyone else as well, of course!
> 
> (Title is from the song Zombie, which talks about war. Thought it would be fitting, considering the topic of the fic.)

It was a time of war.

Most people lived alienated, preferring to believe that the war would never reach them. Or they simply accepted their fates.

It was both dangerous to leave their home and dangerous to live in fear. Bombs, soldiers, magic were used to kill whoever stood in their way. Both Kingdoms lacked in compassion and empathy to their civilians, as long as it meant winning the war.

Xiao Zhan had lost both of his parents; his mother before the war even came around, and his father when he decided to go fight on the war to never return. Xiao Zhan, who couldn’t understand wars as he had too pure a heart, didn’t join the army.

Instead, he decided to continue managing their family’s little hat shop, bringing joy to a few men and women who lived in denial or who were too old to do anything to end the war.

After a long day of making hats, Xiao Zhan said goodbye to the two women who worked for him. He had a delivery to make; Madam Cheng had always been a faithful costumer of the shop, but now she had been too old to walk around the city, and Xiao Zhan had promised to bring it to her once it was done.

Xiao Zhan, being a young man in their little town, was often stopped by soldiers who would bully him into joining the army, guilty him for not fighting for their kingdom, so Xiao Zhan would often try to look for emptier streets, in an attempt to not be perceived by anyone from the military.

However, today he seemed to be out of luck.

He stopped in his tracks when two soldiers came from round the corner. The moment the two men saw him, they eyed him up and down and smirked in a very disturbing way. Soon they started pestering Xiao Zhan for having decided to be a civilian, saying he was a good-for-nothing for abandoning his Kingdom in this time of need.

“Please, let me leave.” Xiao Zhan asked, not really staring at the men in the eyes, and that prompted even more teasing.

“What? Are you too pretty for war? Yeah? Think that face of yours is not made for fighting?”

That couldn’t be further from the truth. These soldiers would often comment on his pretty looks, but no one had ever bothered to actually pay him a compliment, and to his own eyes, he was an average looking guy, so he truly had no idea why they were mentioning it _again_.

Xiao Zhan was about to politely ask them once more if he could just go his way when suddenly there was an arm around his waist and a chin on his shoulder. He froze in place as the most melodic voice reached his ears.

“Sorry, but he’s with me. Time to move on.” Xiao Zhan looked to the side just in time to see the man moving his hand and the two soldiers had their spines straightened and they started marching away from them while loudly shocked and scared about their sudden movements.

Having the proper time to look, Xiao Zhan turned and saw the most gorgeous man he had ever seen.

This man was slightly shorter than him, maybe even younger, and he had blonde hair, in a bob style, green earrings and a beautiful smile, his teeth prefect and white behind those kissable lips. Xiao Zhan noticed the jewels the man wore; not only the rings, but also the rings on his fingers and a blue stone on a gold necklace. Whoever he was, he knew what looked good on him and went with it.

However, before he could say anything, Xiao Zhan saw something from the corner of his eye and he gasped, pointing at it.

“What—” The beautiful man interrupted him by tugging at his waist and making him walk along with him.

“I’m sorry I got you involved, but act normal. I’m being followed.” He still had a smile on his lips and Xiao Zhan felt his heart hammering against his chest. Being followed? By whom?

Then, as if answering Xiao Zhan’s questions, blob men with tiny hats appeared out of nowhere – from the brick buildings and the stone floor. Xiao Zhan gasped, but continued walking, unconsciously coming closer to the handsome man.

They made a rough turn on a street, but then Xiao Zhan was awfully aware they were being cornered; soon, the blob men would reach them. And then, when it seemed they would collide with another wave of blob men, the man held Xiao Zhan tighter and _jumped_.

Xiao Zhan’s eyes widened as he noticed he was in the sky, but the man simply said “Just start walking,” and Xiao Zhan couldn’t deny him, not when he could easily fall to his death.

Xiao Zhan started walking and somehow, he was walking on air. The man was holding one of his hands and his waist, making sure Xiao Zhan wouldn’t fall. After a few frightening steps, Xiao Zhan’s lips tugged, and he was suddenly smiling. It had been such a long time since he last felt happy.

“You’re a natural.” The man’s rough voice rand beside his ears and Xiao Zhan felt himself blushing and he giggled. They continued ‘walking’ until they reached the house Xiao Zhan was aiming at. The man made sure Xiao Zhan was safely on top of the balcony before speaking. “I’ll draw them away. Wait here until the coast is clear.” Xiao Zhan smiled and nodded.

“Okay.” Their hands lingered until the man was giving a step back, ready to continue his walk.

“That’s my boy.”

And with that, the man was gone.

Xiao Zhan was left with his heart beating crazily against his chest, a silly smile on his face. Whatever had just happened had been magical.

The door to the balcony was then opened, and Madam Cheng was surprised to see him there, instead of by the door. After delivering the woman’s hat, he made his way back to his home.

Night had fallen by the time he reached the hat shop, and he was just about to go upstairs to his room when the door was suddenly opened and a very large, very big woman with the most flamboyant hat entered the shop.

“I’m sorry. The shop’s closed.” Xiao Zhan was certain he had just locked the door, but he didn’t want to be rude.

“What a cheap shop, full of cheap little hats. And you’re quite cheap-looking as well.” That stung. Not the part about his looks exactly, but the one about the shop. After all, that was the only thing Xiao Zhan still had from his parents.

“This is just a simple hat shop.” He walked to the door and opened it, clearly showing the woman that she should just go. “If it’s not to your liking, perhaps you should leave.”

“You’re very brave, taking on the Witch of the Waste.” Xiao Zhan’s eyes widened then.

He had heard of the Witch of the Waste, a cruel creature who ate people’s hearts and spread chaos and loathing to wherever she went. A chill ran down his spine and he wondered why the witch was here, of all places.

Before he could react, however, her smile widened, and she passed _through_ him. “You won’t be able to tell anyone about that spell.” She said with mirth in her voice. “My regards to Yibo.” Then she laughed, and a moment later the door was closed.

Xiao Zhan had his eyes closed for a moment, his arms up in an ill attempt to protect himself from the witch. When he lowered them, though, he noticed some stiffness in them. Nevertheless, it was only when he caught sight of his hand that he realised what the spell had truly been about.

His hand was wrinkly and stiff, his whole body seemed as if he was leaning forward, as if he was carrying the weight on his shoulders. He walked to a mirror and he gasped at what he saw.

Xiao Zhan looked old; not old _er_ , really, truly old – ninety-years-of-age old.

He gave himself a pep talk as to not freak out, but truth was that he was freaking out a little, walking up and down the shop, trying to come up with a solution to his problem.

Then, it hit him what the witch had said. “My regards to Yibo,” she had said.

Could it be that the handsome man he walked on air earlier that day was the infamous Wang Yibo from Yibo’s Moving Castle? Sometimes they could see the so-called castle in the outskirts of their little town, and usually most people were far too excited to be so close to a wizard, but Xiao Zhan had never truly cared about it.

Now, he wondered if it had been because of their little encounter that had drawn the Witch of the Waste to Xiao Zhan?

He made up his mind; the next day he would go out in the world. He would find the witch and tell her to change him back.

Or, if anything, he would have freedom.

The next day, he left the hat shop a little after his workers came check on him – he said he came up with a cold and would be unable to be around the shop to help. They left him alone at that, and he prepared a little bag with some food. He took a simple hat to protect himself from the sun, but also a shawl since the days had been growing colder.

Then, Xiao Zhan walked.

He walked and walked and _walked_.

When he was too tired, he sat on a rock and ate some of his food. Xiao Zhan watched the town from where he was, and he couldn’t believe how close he still was. Looking around, he saw a stick stuck on a bush nearby, and he decided it would make a great walking stick.

Xiao Zhan pulled at it with all his might until he managed to take the stick out – and it revealed to be a scarecrow. He deflated at that, noticing he wouldn’t have the help of a walking stick after all. Xiao Zhan resumed his walk, moving farther away from his town.

Not many steps away, he heard a thumping noise coming from behind him. The scarecrow, who was clearly a magic being, was following him now. He smiled at it and told him not to tag along, since Xiao Zhan didn’t really have a destiny. The scarecrow ignored him, and Xiao Zhan jokingly told it that if it wanted to help, it would find Xiao Zhan a house with a warm bed so he could spend the night in.

That made the scarecrow hop away from him, and Xiao Zhan continued his journey. That was, until he reached a huge, moving _thing_. It sort of looked like a house, but also of many machinery built together in the oddest way possible. Xiao Zhan gaped at it until he saw the scarecrow hopping towards him again.

“Oh. So, you did find me a place to spend the night.” He chuckled in disbelief. “That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but I guess it will do. Thank you, mister Turnip Head.” He waved at the scarecrow and managed to enter the moving – house? castle? – _thing_.

Everything was a mess inside, and Xiao Zhan was a little aghast at what he saw. However, he found a chair and a fireplace, and he soon added a few more logs to the fireplace and sat on the chair. This wasn’t ideal, but better than to weather the elements sleeping outside. He was, after all, a ninety-year-old man.

“That’s some spell you’re under.” A voice said as he was almost dozing off. He blinked his eyes open and noticed that _the fire_ was speaking. “It won’t be easy to break.” Xiao Zhan gasped, eyes widening at his newest discovery – how he was still getting shocked over things after the last forty-eight hours of his life, he had no idea. “And you can’t even tell anyone about it.”

“You’re Yibo?” Xiao Zhan managed to speak; he had connected the fact that a moving household with a talking fire must belong to the wizard, but he hadn’t thought he would have been so easily discovered.

“No, I’m a fire demon! Calcifer!” The demon spoke with pride and Xiao Zhan smiled sweetly at it.

“Hey, can you break the spell I’m under?”

“Easy. If you break the spell that chains me to this place, I’ll break yours.” Xiao Zhan arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

“A bargain with a demon.” It was clear that Xiao Zhan wasn’t buying whatever it was that Calcifer was selling, so instantly the fire demon started babbling about how he was an exploited demon, being used by Yibo to move his house.

However, the exhaustion from the day was catching up to Xiao Zhan, and before he knew it, he was asleep.

The next day, Xiao Zhan was woken up by a bell ringing and a little boy running to the door to open it, disguised with a hood and some fake grey beard. The boy was astounded by Xiao Zhan, but Xiao Zhan managed to make the little boy – his name was Kevin, he introduced himself – believe Xiao Zhan was the newest housekeeper.

Everything seemed to be working just fine until the door opened again and Yibo walked in. The wizard didn’t find it odd that Xiao Zhan had decided to reside with them and sat down to have breakfast. Kevin told Yibo that both sides of the war were requesting Yibo’s presence to fight for them, and Xiao Zhan pretended not to see when Yibo’s face momentarily soured before he smiled again.

Xiao Zhan soon noticed the difference between Yibo’s smiles. When they first met – and Xiao Zhan was a twenty-eight year old man – Yibo’s smile had been genuine; now though, it seemed forced, probably in an attempt to not worry anyone. Xiao Zhan watched him turn the knob on the wall and leave once more, but not before telling Xiao Zhan to be moderate in his cleaning.

_Moderate_ , Xiao Zhan deadpanned, looking around.

The place was complete chaotic, with more insects and dust than was probably possible for humans to live in. After breakfast, Xiao Zhan started his cleaning. It took him a few hours on the ground floor, where Calcifer was a nice company all things considered. Meanwhile, little Kevin had run to his room to clean a little, because he had seen Xiao Zhan’s eyes and knew the old man would throw anything away that he didn’t deem clean or useful enough.

While cleaning, Xiao Zhan opened a door to a balcony and was stunned by the beauty that he saw. The castle was moving and the long, green fields before his eyes looked amazing. There were animals running and birds singing, and Xiao Zhan had to take a moment to just appreciate it; after all, back in his town, everything was too polluted, one could hardly see a green patch of land unless they left the town, and even then, one would worry more about the war than about nature.

It was in one of his little inspections of all rooms that Xiao Zhan noticed a stick coming out of one of the castle’s many metal parts, and with the help of little Kevin, they managed to pull it out, revealing Turnip Head. Xiao Zhan laughed happily at seeing his friend there as well.

Night fell, and Yibo hadn’t returned yet by the time Xiao Zhan made his bed and fell asleep.

Yibo might have returned sometime during the night, because a little after breakfast Calcifer announced with a sigh that he had to prepare a hot bath for the wizard. Xiao Zhan was happily cleaning after their breakfast when there was a loud shriek and a door opening almost violently.

“Xiao Zhan! I told you to be moderate on your cleaning!” Yibo came down the stairs wearing nothing but a towel, and Xiao Zhan would have stolen a peak if Yibo hadn’t been freaking out so loudly. “You mixed the bottles on the bathroom with my potions and look at this!”

Yibo tugged at his bright blue hair and Xiao Zhan wanted to chuckle; in his humble opinion, the blue hue fit Yibo quite well, probably better than his blonde hair had. However, Yibo didn’t give him time to say anything.

“I look hideous! Completely horrendous! What am I going to do now that I’m this ugly?”

Xiao Zhan was certain that the man was just being dramatic. After all, Yibo looked stunning with his hair in that tone of blue. It did fit his Asian features much better than the blonde, but for some reason Yibo was making it sound like the end of the world.

“Can’t you dye it back to blonde?” Xiao Zhan said, but Yibo sat dramatically on the chair in front of Calcifer. “And you’d probably look handsome even bald, I don’t know what you’re complaining about.”

“If I can’t be beautiful, what’s the point?” Xiao Zhan really underestimated how dramatic Yibo could be. By then, his hair started changing colours again, becoming a more natural, black-ish colour. Xiao Zhan had to admit that he liked that one more than the others.

As he was about to point it out to Yibo, green slime started to ooze out of the wizard’s skin and cover his whole body.

What followed is Xiao Zhan – with the help of little Kevin – bringing Yibo back to the bathtub. The wizard’s towel fell somewhere on their trip up the stairs and Xiao Zhan had to make an extra effort to keep his eyes up. Kevin took care of bathing Yibo, and only when Xiao Zhan was certain Yibo was in bed resting – and fully clothed – that he did go up to see him again.

Yibo had his eyes closed and Xiao Zhan had a unique opportunity to appreciate the wizard’s handsome face. No matter what Yibo said, his black hair looked good on him. No forced smiles or dramatic outbursts, his expression seemed calm, if slightly tense.

“Yibo, I’ve brought you some milk. Drink it.” Yibo shook his head and Xiao Zhan felt a little guilty that he had been the one to upset him so. “Well, I’ll leave it here. Drink it while it’s still hot.” Xiao Zhan was ready to leave the room, but Yibo’s hand wrapped around Xiao Zhan’s wrist.

“Please stay.” Xiao Zhan nodded and sat on a chair near the bed. Yibo let go of him, resting his hand back on the bed, and then he opened his eyes. “The truth is, I’m a coward.”

Different from the outburst of earlier with the dyed hair, Yibo was serious now, confessing something from deep within himself to Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan knew better than to tell him he was being dramatic, although he couldn’t see how the man could be a coward.

“All this junk is sorcery to keep the Witch of the Waste away. I’m scared to death.” Xiao Zhan frowned a little; while he did feel a little anger toward the witch, he couldn’t say he was _scared_ of her. So why would Yibo be?

“Why is the Witch of the Waste after you, Yibo?” He asked in a sweet voice, but Yibo had his eyes closed again, face turned to the opposite direction of Xiao Zhan. There was a moment before Yibo opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Zhan.

“She seemed quite interesting, so I approached her. But she terrified me, and I ran away.” Xiao Zhan didn’t know how a wizard would be scared of another magic user, but he remembered when he had seen the Witch of the Waste for the first time and had felt terror upon seeing her huge form and wicked smile. “Now the king’s ordered me to report to him.”

“Can’t you refuse the king’s invitation?” One of the many perks of being old, Xiao Zhan had noticed, was that he didn’t care about others’ opinions about him. No one would expect him to do anything as an old man, so he could just state his own opinions and be done with it. But he knew the situation was probably different to Yibo, who looked so young in comparison.

“I took an oath at the Sorcery Academy.” Xiao Zhan had no idea what that had to do with anything, but an idea struck him.

“Hey, Yibo. Why don’t you visit the king?” That made Yibo’s eyes widen.

“What!”

“Yeah! Go there and tell it to his face: Stop this foolish war, I refuse to help you.” Yibo sighed and averted his gaze, his expression a little more dramatic than before, and Xiao Zhan considered that a small win. Yibo muttered something under his breath before sitting on the bed in one go.

“I know! Xiao Zhan, you should go in my place!” At Xiao Zhan’s affronted gasp, Yibo continued. “Pretend you’re my father and tell him your son is an idle good-for-nothing.” Yibo leaned forward, his nose almost touching Xiao Zhan’s and Xiao Zhan felt himself blushing. “Perhaps Madam Carman will even give up on me.”

It was impossible to deny Yibo of anything when he had that genuine smile on his face. His heart was beating wildly when he nodded and Yibo cheered.

“Here.” Yibo took out one of his rings and took Xiao Zhan’s hand, putting it on one of his fingers. “This will guarantee your safe return. And don’t worry, I’ll be nearby in disguise, watching over you.”

With that, Xiao Zhan sighed and went on his journey to meet with the king.

On his way to the castle, Xiao Zhan started being followed by a short-legged cat, who rubbed its cute face on his legs and meowed loudly while looking at Xiao Zhan in the eyes. Clearly, Xiao Zhan interpreted that it meant that the cat was Yibo, as the wizard had promised to stick around.

His journey to the castle was very swift, no one bothered him, and while he did tire as he made his way there, it was a nice day, all things considered.

That is, until Xiao Zhan met the Witch of the Waste at the bottom of the stairs of the castle. She had gone there carried by her blob men, but no magic was allowed inside of the castle. Therefore, the witch, much like Xiao Zhan, would have to climb a hundred steps in order to reach the entrance of the castle.

Yibo-the-cat made Xiao Zhan carry him all the way to the top – probably because he was magicked and wouldn’t be able to go alone if Xiao Zhan didn’t help? However, worse than having to bring the cat with him all the way up was the witch, who seemed to be _melting_ as she went up. Xiao Zhan was slightly shocked, but he still waited for her until she reached the top, and then the two of them entered the castle.

The Witch of the Waste instantly claimed the only armchair in the place as hers, but a moment later a little boy who looked much like Yibo, with blonde hair in a bob, waved at Xiao Zhan to follow him, so he did just that.

The cat tagged along quite closely, and Xiao Zhan was taken to a room with a gorgeous, older woman – well, not older than him, now that he was ninety years old, but probably on her early fifties – who introduced herself as Madam Carman.

“I understand you’re Yibo’s father?” Xiao Zhan nodded, slightly taken aback by the woman. But he was determined to do what he was supposed to. “Please, sit. I’m sure you’re weary.”

Xiao Zhan nodded again and walked to the sole chair in the great pavilion they were in, sitting on it and facing Madam Carman. The cat, who had been following Xiao Zhan so far, went towards the woman and sat beside her and started to lick herself, and Xiao Zhan noticed, then, that the cat wasn’t actually Yibo.

“Hm… That cat…?” Xiao Zhan asked, waving at it, and Madam Carman looked at the cat.

“Ah, you mean Jianguo? She does some of my errands. I asked her to escort you.” Xiao Zhan sighed quite tiredly. “Yibo’s not going to join us, then?”

“Yes. You see, he asks his father to make excuses. I’m sure he’d be utterly useless to His Majesty.” Xiao Zhan tried to look as convincing as he could, and for a moment, Madam Carman seemed to believe it.

“What a shame. He was my last apprentice. A student of such marvellous gifts. I rejoiced in finally finding a worthy heir.” That was news to Xiao Zhan, and he couldn’t study his face before changing it to one of shock. “But then, a demon stole his heart, and he abandoned me. He turned his magic to purely selfish uses.” _That_ , Xiao Zhan doubted.

Maybe Yibo had, indeed, lost his heart to a demon, but so far, Xiao Zhan didn’t see him using his magic for selfish reasons. And maybe Xiao Zhan wasn’t fully aware of every detail of what Yibo did when he was away, but there was something about the wizard that made it impossible for Xiao Zhan to believe her.

“That boy is dangerous.” Madam Carman continued, face serious. “His power is too great for one with no heart. If he follows that path, he’ll wind up like the Witch of the Waste.” At that, Madam Carman looked to the door from where Xiao Zhan had entered. “Bring her.”

Xiao Zhan gasped when his eyes landed on an old woman – much older than his ninety-year-old self – in the Witch of the Waste’s clothes, being brought on a small cart, her body many times smaller than how it used to be. Xiao Zhan’s heart ached for the witch. Even though she had been the one to curse him, Xiao Zhan still had a pure heart, and he thought that, whatever it was that was done to the witch was evil.

“What happened?” He asked, hands quickly reaching the older woman’s body.

“I just restored her to her real age. All her powers are gone.” Xiao Zhan looked from the witch to Madam Carman, and then back to the witch. “Once upon a time, she was a magnificent witch. She made a bargain with a demon who consumed her, body and soul, long ago.”

Xiao Zhan’s heart was beating wildly in his chest, but he was slowly growing angry. Wasn’t there a more humane way of dealing with all this?

“Our kingdom can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to disreputable wizards and witches. If Yibo comes here to serve the kingdom, I will teach him how to break free from the demon.” A pause, and then Madam Carman continued: “If not, I’ll strip him of his powers as I’ve taken hers.” That was enough for Xiao Zhan.

“Now, just a minute.” He stood up from his chair, eyes hard on the woman in front of him. “Now I understand why Yibo refused to come here. Something’s not right. Forcing your aged guests to climb stairs, dragging them into strange rooms. It’s like a trap. You call Yibo heartless; and yes, he’s selfish, cowardly and unpredictable, but he’s straight as an arrow. He only wants to be free. Yibo won’t turn into an evil monster; he’ll battle the demon on his own. I believe in him!”

If Xiao Zhan felt younger in that moment, like he used to be, he didn’t register. Anyone around him, though, could see him for the age he truly was.

“You’re in love with Yibo.” Madam Carman said with a glint in her eyes, and Xiao Zhan wanted nothing more than to backtrack whatever it was that he had said. At the same time, the Witch of the Waste grabbed him by his long overcoat.

“Yibo, Yibo’s coming?” Her voice was barely recognizable. “I want Yibo’s heart, I want it.” Xiao Zhan looked at the decrepit woman holding onto him and was somewhat disgusted by the lust he saw in her eyes. Yet, the moment the witch fell to the floor, Xiao Zhan hurried to catch her.

“That’s enough, now. Yibo’s not coming.” Xiao Zhan said admonishingly. Madam Carman, however, didn’t seem to agree.

“Oh, Yibo will certainly come. Now, I’ve found his weakness.” Xiao Zhan frowned, but then there was a little airplane landing on the grounds beside the room they were in. A man hopped off of it and entered the room. “Your Highness.”

“As you are.” The gruff, large man said. “How are you feeling?”

“Well, thanks for asking.” Madam Carman said. Meanwhile, both ignored Xiao Zhan, to which he was thankful.

“Meetings bore me. I flew out for a breather.” The man explained, but then turned to Xiao Zhan and the witch. “These are?”

“This is Wizard Yibo’s father.” She said simply, and the man hummed in acknowledgement.

“I appreciate it, but I don’t intend to win any war with magic. It’s true that Carman’s powers shield our palace from bombs, but they just fall on neighbouring towns. That’s how magic works, isn’t it, Carman?” Xiao Zhan wondered why the man was telling him all of that, when another, identical man entered the room from another door.

“Carman!” He was branding a piece of paper, a smile on his face as he approached. He started talking to Madam Carman, but a moment later he noticed the presence of others in the room, and, more specifically, of _himself_ there. Instead of worrying, he laughed. “You’ve outdone yourself with that double, Carman.”

And, just like that, the man was gone.

There was a long moment of silence in which Xiao Zhan put the pieces together, and he could not believe Yibo’s lack of luck.

“It’s been a while, Yibo.” Yibo, now not faking his voice, bowed and answered.

“Delighted to see you doing so well.” Madam Carman still had an amused smile on her face.

“I saw right through you.”

“I’ve kept my oath.” Yibo said with a smile of his own, his own face coming through now that he didn’t need to pretend anymore. He pulled Xiao Zhan for a half hug. “I’ve no wish to fight you. I’ll take my father.”

“I won’t let you go.”

What happened next was extremely chaotic, and Xiao Zhan had to hold Yibo tightly in danger of losing him. The Witch of the Waste held onto Xiao Zhan’s clothes, her frail, thin fingers with more strength than Xiao Zhan thought possible. Somehow, in the middle of it all, Xiao Zhan ended up with Jianguo in her arms as well.

Now on the little airplane, Yibo told him to go to Calcifer, following the light from his ring, while he delayed Madam Carman and any of her faithful students.

Xiao Zhan managed to bring them safely – or as safely as one could when one didn’t know how to pilot – back to the castle. Little Kevin had been waiting for them, and he helped the Witch of the Waste get comfortable in a sofa, while Xiao Zhan tried to sleep on the floor next to Calcifer.

If anything, he hoped to hear when Yibo returned.

That night, Xiao Zhan had the most bizarre dream. He had followed human sized bird footprints to Yibo’s room, and the place now looked like a maze. The end of the place he followed led him to a mass of feathers heavily breathing. Instantly, he knew it had to be Yibo, and his heart leaped inside his chest at the sight.

“Yibo?” He called, softly. Yibo only recoiled from his voice, which only made Xiao Zhan more distraught. “Are you hurt? In pain?”

“Stay away.” A rough voice said, startling Xiao Zhan. However, it wouldn’t be enough to push Xiao Zhan away.

“I want to help you. I want to break the spell you’re under.”

The mass of wings shifted, until Xiao Zhan could see Yibo getting up, his face distorted into that of a monster. Although he was mostly bird now, his face didn’t look like one.

“You can’t even break your own spell.” The rough voice said, and it pained Xiao Zhan to hear it.

“But I love you.” Xiao Zhan said, feeling his own eyes filling up with tears.

“Too late.” Yibo was gone with a flurry of wings and Xiao Zhan yelled his name, startling himself awake.

It took Xiao Zhan some moments to understand that what had transpired hadn’t been true; or, at least, not completely true.

“Xiao Zhan! You must figure out how to break my spell quickly. We’re both running out of time.” Calcifer warned, and that only made Xiao Zhan more determined in breaking Yibo’s spell.

“Meaning Yibo will turn into a monster? Is it true?”

“I can’t tell you that. I’m a demon.”

“Calcifer, Carman told me Yibo gave you something quite precious. What is it? Where is it?” Xiao Zhan said as he stood up and walked to the fire demon.

“That’s confidential.” Xiao Zhan deflated at the answer.

Later that day, Yibo showed up, once again in high spirits, as if there was nothing to be wary of. He got Calcifer in a pan and with some spell, he modified the castle in a more habitable place, including their guests. He gave them a little tour before turning to Xiao Zhan.

“I changed this door.” When he opened the door, Xiao Zhan could see the back of his little hat shop. He gasped and went out, looking at the familiarity of everything. “Xiao Zhan.” Yibo called him after a moment, an endearing smile painting his lips. “There’s another place I’d like to show you.”

They returned to the castle before Yibo turned the handle to a different outside, opening the door a moment later.

The place Yibo showed him was breath-taking.

The green grass under his shoes, the birds chirping all over the place, the colourful dots of flowers, the amazing smell of the breeze… Never before had Xiao Zhan felt so at peace, and, for whatever reason, he felt he had been there before.

There was a tiny house a few metres away and Yibo explained he had spent his summers in that house. “Make yourself a home there, Xiao Zhan.” The smile on his face was blinding, but Xiao Zhan was suddenly feeling unease. He held Xiao Zhan’s hand and started making his way to the little house, but Xiao Zhan stopped them before they could go any further away. “What is it?”

“I’m afraid.” Xiao Zhan confessed. “I’m afraid you’ll go off and disappear somewhere, once I’m inside.” Yibo stared at Xiao Zhan, surprised at his words. “Yibo, tell me the truth. I don’t mind if you’re a monster.” Yibo smiled once more.

“I want to make sure you can all live comfortably. Why not open a flower shop with all these flowers? You’d be good at it, Xiao Zhan.” The smile on Yibo’s face didn’t falter, but Xiao Zhan could tell he was dodging Xiao Zhan’s questions.

“And then you’d go away?” That seemed to make Yibo drop the act, his lips becoming a thin line. “I want to help you, Yibo.” Xiao Zhan started feeling a little self-conscious and he looked down at his own hands. “I’m not beautiful and I’m only good at house-keeping…” He trailed off. Yibo’s hands were quick to hold him by the arms.

“Xiao Zhan, you’re gorgeous!” Xiao Zhan gave him a sad smile.

“The good thing about being old if that you’ve got so little to lose…” Yibo was about to say something, but then he frowned and looked away in the distance, Xiao Zhan held his breath for a second, afraid of what might have happened.

That was, until Xiao Zhan could see what it was that Yibo was seeing: a war plane.

“What is that thing doing around here?” Yibo’s voice was angry, but Xiao Zhan couldn’t look away from the battleship. “On its way to burn cities and people.”

“The enemy’s? Ours?” Xiao Zhan asked in a whisper.

“What difference does it make?” A loud noise from closer drew their attention to another war plane, flying much closer to them. Yibo held Xiao Zhan by the waist, much like he had done that first day. “Murderers.” Yibo spat the word with disgust, and Xiao Zhan realised that it didn’t matter who was the owner of the battleship; they were all the same, murderers, selfish people who didn’t care about their citizens. “Look at all those bombs.”

Yibo raised a hand towards the plane and almost instantly, it stopped working. Quickly, it was losing speed, and Xiao Zhan was astonished that Yibo had managed to do such a thing. It wasn’t falling, though, so whatever it was that Yibo did wasn’t enough to cause the plane to fall.

Xiao Zhan turned to look at Yibo with amazement when he noticed the wizard clutching his previously raised arm; his arm was turning a dark shade of grey, some feathers forming there.

“Yibo!” Xiao Zhan gasped.

“Looks like they’re onto us.” Some weirdly shaped birds came out of the plane, making their way to them. “Let’s go back.”

Once again, Yibo grabbed Xiao Zhan by the waist and ran, but this time, his whole body changed into that of a bird. They flew again but seeing Yibo turn into a massive bird was worrying. Yibo let him go when they were close enough to the door to the castle, and Xiao Zhan entered it alone, while Yibo, once again, tried to draw the creatures away.

With nothing else to do to help Yibo, Kevin convinced them to wait at Xiao Zhan’s hat shop. There, they waited for Yibo to come back, either from the castle or from the town. However, when they least expected, they heard the sounds of battleships approaching. They ran outside just in time to see a few bombs falling in the town, fire consuming everything it touched.

Before he could think of something to do, a bomb was dropped in his direction, and Xiao Zhan gasped, knowing it was the end – until he saw Yibo flying in, grabbing the bomb and slowing it down enough for it to lose its strength. The impact still caused a gust of wind to know Xiao Zhan back to a wall.

However, as dust settled, Xiao Zhan could see Yibo; his body still that of a bird, but his face was still his and Xiao Zhan ran to the wizard, hugging him tightly. Yibo managed to open the door for them, and they were all safe inside the castle once more.

“Xiao Zhan, stay here. Calcifer will protect you.” Yibo turned his back and was ready to go back outside, but Xiao Zhan couldn’t take it. He ran to him, hugging him from behind.

“Yibo, please don’t go. Stay. Let’s run away, don’t fight.” Xiao Zhan knew he was begging, and he could feel the tightness on his throat at the prospect of losing Yibo.

“I’m through running away.” Yibo turned enough so he could look into Xiao Zhan’s eyes, and his smile wasn’t forced or fake; it was sad, but genuine. “I’ve finally found someone I want to protect. You.” Xiao Zhan’s eyes widened at the confession. All this time, he had been sure Yibo would never consider him as anything more than a friend.

Yibo took his astonishment as a way to fly away through the door, leaving Xiao Zhan and all the others behind.

“Yibo!” Xiao Zhan yelled, going after him, but it was too late. Yibo had finally flown away.

With renewed determination, Xiao Zhan went back inside.

Xiao Zhan forced Calcifer away from the house, which caused it to crumble. A moment later he was back, settling Calcifer on the fireplace and bringing him any piece of wood he could get his hands on. Due to the rain, it wasn’t enough. The logs were too wet and Calcifer wasn’t at his strongest.

Xiao Zhan gave part of his hair to Calcifer so he would be strong enough to move the castle once again. The castle was now half the size it used to be, but at least it was moved towards were Yibo was, fighting with all those creatures which had been sent by Madam Carman.

However, when they were arriving, Calcifer started telling someone to stop, and Xiao Zhan turned just in time to see the Witch of the Waste holding Calcifer in her hands.

“Yibo’s heart.” She said in amazement, not even caring that she was burning up. With Calcifer no longer on the fireplace, the castle started losing speed. In an attempt to save the witch, Xiao Zhan poured water over her, almost fully extinguishing Calcifer.

That made the castle crumble altogether and it took Xiao Zhan a moment too long to understand why. The castle broke in two and Xiao Zhan was alone in one side of it while the others were on the other side. Xiao Zhan was falling too quickly.

Somehow, Xiao Zhan didn’t die from the fall, but as soon as he noticed what he had done, tears were consuming him. He put everyone at risk – he put _Yibo_ at risk – because he hadn’t thought before he had acted.

Through his tears, he saw his ring shining once again, and Xiao Zhan, desperate to find Yibo, got to his feet quickly, following the light coming off the ring. The door of the castle was there, and Xiao Zhan opened it with some difficulty, as it was a little stuck.

He was suddenly inside a little house, and instantly he understood it was the house Yibo had told him to make a home out of. As he left the house, though, he could see a younger Yibo in the distance, a shining blue fire on his hands.

Without thinking twice, Xiao Zhan started running.

He had to save Yibo, he had to prevent the bargain between Yibo and Calcifer to happen.

As always, he hadn’t been fast enough.

Yibo swallowed the blue light, and a moment later his heart came out of his chest with a burning fire around it.

Xiao Zhan stopped in his tracks, lost at what to do.

Before he could think, though, the ring on his finger snapped and a hole opened under him, the memory slowly vanishing all around him.

“Yibo!” He yelled, and the little boy turned to look at Xiao Zhan, shock and confusion in his young eyes. “I’m Xiao Zhan! Wait for me! I promise I’ll come back for you! Wait for me in the future!”

Then, Xiao Zhan was falling and falling, until he wasn’t anymore. Floating, Xiao Zhan walked on air until he walked out of the door and into the ruins of what once had been Yibo’s Moving Castle.

Right in front of him, though, was a pile of breathing feathers.

Yibo was there.

_Yibo was there._

“Yibo.” He said as he walked closer to the wizard. He moved some feather aside in order to see Yibo’s handsome face, his eyes unfocused, as if he wasn’t truly there. “I’m sorry I took so long. You’ve been waiting all this time.” Leaning forward, Xiao Zhan closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Yibo’s, kissing him tenderly. “Take me to Calcifer.”

Xiao Zhan smiled and Yibo, still a little robotic, did as he was told, taking him to the fire demon, who was still being clutched by the witch. Even Turnip Head was there, on a walking plank of wood.

The moment they landed, Yibo fell and the feathers left his body, but he was unconscious, and Xiao Zhan knew what he had to do.

He asked the witch to give him the heart, but she wouldn’t budge, saying it was hers. Xiao Zhan hugged her sweetly, desperately, begging her to give it to him.

“If you really want it, you can take it. Make sure to take care of it.” Xiao Zhan smiled gratefully to the old woman and took Calcifer from her hands, bringing it to Yibo. He put it on top of his chest, where his heart should be.

“May Calcifer live a thousand years. And may Yibo recover his heart.” A bright light emerged from Yibo’s chest and his heart was fully inside then and Calcifer was free.

It was too soon to commemorate, though.

Without Calcifer, the plank of wood fell out of the legs moving the castle, and if it hadn’t been for Turnip Head, they would all have died.

Happy beyond himself, Xiao Zhan stood up and kissed Turnip Head in thanks. A bright light almost blinded their eyes, and where Turnip Head had stood, now stood a gorgeous man.

“I’m a Prince from the next kingdom. A cruel spell turned me into a scarecrow.” The man introducing himself as Darren Wang said. The Witch of the Waste giggled to herself.

“A spell only a true love’s kiss could break!”

“Exactly, and if Xiao Zhan hadn’t saved me, I’d have died.” The conversation was clearly between Turnip Head and the witch, so Xiao Zhan turned to Yibo once again, wanting to make sure he was okay.

“What’s the fuss?” Yibo said with a groan as he blinked his beautiful eyes open. “I feel terrible. Like I’m trapped under a rock.” Xiao Zhan smiled.

“Yeah, a heart’s a heavy burden.” Yibo’s hand cupped Xiao Zhan’s face, and it was only then that Xiao Zhan noticed he wasn’t a ninety-year-old man anymore. Somewhere along the way, the spell had been broken – his hair continued silver, though.

“You’re so beautiful.” Xiao Zhan was smiling so much it almost hurt.

“I love you, Yibo.” Without further ado, Xiao Zhan pulled Yibo to a kiss.

Later, they would find out that Darren Wang had returned home. His return managed to stop the mindless war, and for once in so many years, they were all free to live their lives without the fear of war.

It was maybe too soon to say they lived happily ever after, mainly with a spy cat, an old witch and a fire demon all inhabiting the same castle, but the future looked promising.

**Author's Note:**

> Interested in my works? Check my pinned post on twt @Kidhuzural and come talk to me! :D
> 
> Leave kudos and comment if you enjoyed!


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